Horst in Translation ([email protected])
"The Monster of Nix" is an animated half-hour short film written, directed and produced by Dutch filmmaker Rosto. But don't worry, the language in here is English. This film has a touch of David Lynch to it, a touch of Tim Burton and an ounce of Coraline. However, it never reaches the strength in terms of story from the latter. A little boy apparently has to save the world and go against an evil monster, which looks like a gigantic raven. The boy looked more like a girl to me I must say. In any case this is not a watch for young audiences really as they might get frightened by some of the more creepy moments and the music is also in fairly frightening. Same can be said about the main character. Even if it's a kid, it is a bit on the scary side with its grayish hair. I must say that he looks more like a girl actually, not a boy. Anyway, all in all I was not too impressed by this short movie and the story seemed a bit insufficient even for 30 minutes only. Not recommended, unless you're a big fan of Terry Gilliam or Tom Waits.
Erwin Timmerman
The story line resembles "The Neverending Story". In this case, a monster is consuming the world into a "Nix". As with a black hole, the world is sucked away bit by bit. While this is happening, a boy is wandering around looking for his vanished grandmother, and encounters lots of weird creatures along the way. They tell him about the monster, and why everything is vanishing into oblivion. Will he and the creatures be able to stop the inevitable end of the world? And if they do, will the remains be worth it? The animation is really something else. The atmosphere reminds of a Tim Burton film. The creatures are really weird, and the story is a bit erratic at times. The songs are a bit weird as well. However, in al its weirdness, the animation is very beautifully done.If you have seen it all and are looking for something completely different, this is your film.If you just want a normal enjoyable animation with clear characters, simple entertainment and a more or less recognizable storyline, look further.As I am of the second category, I did not enjoy the film very much. But I can see why it was sent as an Oscar entry: film critics will probably love it.
